Young Pilgrims
by THE STAR FREEDOM
Summary: Every year twenty four children are taken to the Capitol and entered into the Hunger Games. This year is the 67th year since the rebellion of District 13. Enter Miss Capri Covell. She may be from District Four, but does she have the sea legs to face the Arena?
1. One

Chapter One

I'm standing by the ocean, skimming rocks across the lake as I watch the sun rise above the horizon. It's insanely beautiful out here in the mornings. The muted colors mixing in the sky. Beautiful oranges, reds, yellows, purples, and blues mixing together to make a beautiful display above the calm ocean. The waves lap around my bare feet and mingle with the sand. The foam stays for a moment before slipping away back to its home.

The sound of waves crashing in on themselves in the distance fills my ears until I hear my name called.

It's Henry. I turn around to face him with a wide smile. He picks me up and spins me around in his arms. For him, it's a celebration. His nineteenth birthday was last week. He doesn't have to participate in the Reaping again this year or ever again. He stops spinning us long enough to set my feet back on the sand, take my face in his hands, and kiss me. I'm so happy that he won't have to worry about going into the Games again.

But I do for another three years. I try not to think about it as he kisses me again. The bell tower in the square chimes noon, and I know that I should be home right now preparing for the Reaping. It's at one o'clock as it always is so that the people in the Capitol can watch it live.

Henry and I intertwine our fingers, he picks up my sandals from further up the beach, and he walks me home. Even though he isn't part of the Reaping anymore, he is still required to go. Everyone is required to go unless you are on your deathbed. Even then, they would prefer that you be in the square to witness the Reaping.

When we make it to my house, I give Henry a short kiss before walking inside. My father is in the kitchen making lunch. I give him a kiss on the cheek before heading to my room. I smile when I see the blue dress that had belonged to my mother lying on the bed. Acting upon instinct, I reach for my necklace. It had been my mother's. A simple pearl on a silver cord. My father had made it for her the day before their wedding.

A few years ago, a fishing boat had caught fire miles out from shore. My mother had been on the ship and had got tangled in some seaweed while underwater. My father had taken it hard, but he knew he had to be strong for me. So he was.

I bathe quickly and put on my mother's dress. Looking in the mirror, I feel like I'm looking at one of the old pictures of my mother. Our sun-stained, curly hair and our bright blue eyes were practically identical.

"Capri," my father sticks his head in the doorway, "It's about time to leave, sweetheart."


	2. Two

Chapter Two

My father stands in the crowd as I go to the check-in. A Peacekeeper that I recognize as Demeter takes my hand and pricks my finger. He releases my hand and I'm herded into my age group. Things become more tightly and tightly packed as more people are stuffed into the rather large area that is District 4's town square.

Once I'm in place, I take a moment to re-observe how even more utterly terrifying it is from this side of the rope. This side is sufficiently more terrifying as you are apart from your family –who you see on the other side nervously clutching the hands of whoever is beside them while trying to force a smile-, there are at least a dozen cameras of varying shapes and sizes, there is a massive stage with two large bowls –with at least one of everyone's name on this side of the rope- on either side of a podium and microphone and four chairs placed before the doors of the Justice Building. There's also dozens of brightly colored posters and banners advertising this "wondrous event," yet giving the scene an added sense of grimness because of the large contrast between the banners and the people's emotions.

All four of the chairs behind the podium are filled. The first is Mayor Shaw, a tall and lean man with white hair and large spectacles. The next is District 4's escort, Eudora Hart, with her perfectly tanned skin contrasting greatly with her blue hair done up in a mass of curls that match her blue lips and eyelashes. She looks like she walked straight from the Capitol in her bright green dress (with matching heels) and a bejeweled blazer over her dress, which I assume was the look she was striving for. The third is Mags, district 4's oldest living Victor and winner of the 9th Hunger Games. The next is Finnick Odair, the Capitol's golden boy and winner of the Hunger Games only two years ago. It's funny to see Eudora leaning over Mags to flirt with Finnick.

Mayor Shaw walks up to the podium, drawing all the attention to himself, and says the same thing he has every year. The history of Panem and how these Games are a reminder of District 13's rebellion. He goes on to state the rules of the Hunger Games. How one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen from every district are to go up in tribute to honor their district. Twenty four children in total imprisoned in an arena that they know nothing about and they kill each other. The last one standing wins.

He reads from a list all of the victors that District 4 has had. Of all of them, only two of our victors are still alive, Finnick and Mags. The mayor then hands the stage over to Eudora to pick the tributes from the glass orbs.

"Welcome, and happy 67th Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor." Her Capitol accent annoys me as it always does as does her excess cheeriness. "As always, ladies first." She slowly makes her way over to the glass ball in front of the girl's section. She stirs her hand around for a moment before plucking one of the slips of paper. She waddles back to the microphone and reads out the name Sara Ekko.

_No. God, no._ Sara is Henry's little sister. Last summer, she was in a shark attack. Now she's missing her left arm. She wouldn't survive in there. She'd die in the bloodbath. I don't wait for Eudora to ask for volunteers. I hug her close to me for as long as I can before I am dragged onto the stage by Peacekeepers.

Eudora asks me for my name. I have to look strong, so I give it to her immediately. Capri Covell.

She then picks the name for the boys. It's a small boy named Mason. He has a mass of dark, curly hair sitting on top of his head. No one volunteers for him. Eudora says a few closing words, Mason and I shake hands before we are whisked away into the Justice Building at the tune of the anthem.

The Justice Building truly is a beautiful thing. All the furniture is made of the nicest material and the carpet is always lush and clean. Though when I glance at Eudora, she seems to believe that this is the filthiest place she's encountered in her entire life. I'm promptly shut up in a room and left to myself.

I'm supposed to be able to give my goodbyes to friends and families, but I know that I can't cry during this. It'll make me look weak. I can't be a weak tribute or I'll get killed off in the first few days.

The first is my father. I hug him and kiss him profusely with promises to win. To win for him and to win for mom. I hug him and kiss him a few more times before he's dragged out of the room. I'm allowed a few moments to myself before my next visitors come in.

It's the Ekkos. Mrs. Ekko runs to me, embracing me and immediately showering me with thanks. She then returns to the comforting arms of her husband. Sara comes up to me and hugs my waist. She's only thirteen, but she looks about ten. When I see Henry, I almost lose it, but I know that I have to stay strong. For him. For my father. For my district. He kisses me, and then leans his head against mine.

"You've got to win Cap. You have to. You have to come back to me. You can't leave me. I love you, Cap."

"I love you, Henry." I kiss him once more before Peacekeepers come in to take them away.

I don't have a few moments this time, and my best friend Paige is immediately running into the room with tears streaming down her face. She calms down a little and reasons through everything. "You're good with nets, and you're fantastic with a trident, and you're smart, and you can win. You can win." I'm sure she keeps repeating it to herself in her head, but she stops for my sake and only says one more thing, "I believe in you, Cap. You can win this."

We just sit there until the Peacekeepers come.

This time they take me out a few moments later and stuff me into a car to go to the train station. I've only been in a car twice. My mother's funeral. And now. It doesn't take long to arrive at the train station, which is swarming with reporters with their cameras trained directly on me and Mason. I make sure that my face shows as little emotion as possible, none of those emotions being fear or sadness.

Those at the station continue to flash their cameras even as the train begins to move. It had happened so suddenly that it took my breath away. I'd never been on a Capitol train before just now. We learned about them in school a few years ago. They go some 250 miles per hour, and on this train it will only take us till early evening to get to the Capitol.

Eudora shows Henry and I our rooms so that we can look our best upon entry to the Capitol. Henry goes in his room, but I want to explore the train.

I wander through the cars, at least five, when I reach the end. The last car has a beautiful couch that stretches the perimeter of the car. The entire exterior is made of glass, letting you look as your home is left behind. I sit at the tail of it, hugging my legs to my chest, and looking at the rivers and the trees that we pass by in an instant.

The door to the car opens, and I see Finnick Odair standing there in all of his glory. The esteemed District 4 victor. Youngest ever. It's strange. He's meant to be one of my mentors, yet he's the same age as I am. I find it slightly uncomfortable, but I'll deal with it. He knows how to win. He can help me get back home.

"That was incredible what you did." He comes and sits beside me. I'm still sitting backwards, staring at the beauty of Panem. "Did you know her?"

I nod. I can't seem to find words to tell her what she means to me, so we sit for a few moments until I can. "She's my boyfriend's sister." I see him nod in the corner of my eye. "I knew she wouldn't make it far. I couldn't just stand there, knowing I had to power to let her live, and not do anything to change that."

Finally looking over at him, I see him twirling a sugar cube between his fingers. "Have you got any talents I should know about?" He pops the cube into his mouth, and looks to me with raised eyebrows.

"I'm fairly good with a trident, with nets," I pause momentarily before adding, "I know how to make a fire, and I'm pretty quick."

"All great skills to have in the arena," he leans closer into me and his face turns solemn, "but nothing can prepare you for it. You'll go through a few days of training before you go in, you need to make allies. People who look up to you, and won't think about killing you. At least not until later. When you start noticing a change, you run like hell, and then you're on your own until you win."

"You really think I can win?"

He smirks at me, "Hell yeah. But you've got to have sponsors. You have to make the people of the Capitol fall head over heels in love with you." I turn back to look at the outside, how am I supposed to do that? People back in 4 aren't in love with me. I'm average.

"Hey, look at me;" his voice is authoritative, yet kind, "It won't be hard. You're gorgeous. You're talented. And I remember from school that you're pretty damn bright."

I look up at him. That's how he won his games. He was on his own; no one knew that he was the one to kill until halfway through. He made nets from the vines he found. The sponsors had sent him a trident. It was the most expensive sponsor gift I've ever seen. He had a natural beauty that no one in the arena could compete with. And the people of the Capitol loved him. They still do. In the past few months, since he's turned sixteen, they haven't been able to keep their hands off him. Literally.

I metaphorically shake my head at the thought and put my attention back on Finnick. "But you've got to let down the 'I'm a big, bad girl from District 4' act. Okay?" Only after a moment of staring blankly at him do I realize the question wasn't rhetorical. I give him a nod, and he continues, "All they're gonna see is a girl who volunteered for a girl with one arm. You're already pulling on their heartstrings, starfish."

"Starfish?" I scoff at him.

He nods happily and puts a sugar cube in my hand. "I like it. You're my little starfish. Starfish can survive anything. They're tough, but everyone loves them." I pop the sugar cube in my mouth. God, how does he do this? "Anyway, starfish, they already love you. You just have to keep their attention."

He stands up and puts his hand out to me, "C'mon, starfish, Eudora will have a fit if you walk into the Capitol looking like that." Finnick leads me back to through the train until we finally reach the car with our rooms. "Clean up, and then I'll have someone come to fetch you in about an hour for a pre-Capitol meal." I'm nearly shutting the door when Finnick pokes in head in saying, "Oh, and starfish, I'm not so sure I'd be saying that you volunteered for your boyfriend's sister." He gives me a short nod before slipping back down the hallway.

The change on his face from when we were in the hallway to when his head was in my doorframe was one that shook me to my very core. He looked haunted. I try not to focus on it as I strip from Reaping clothes and step into the shower. We had showers in 4, but these were far fancier than anything we had there. It had about ten different scents that you could pick from, and when you were finished, you simply stood and it dried you by blowing warm air at you.

Walking back into the room, I find a chest filled with only the finest clothes. I find a sea green top, some black pants, and a pair of boots. I put them on hurriedly and think about going wandering about the train again, but decide against it. In one of the drawers I find a pad of paper and some pencils. Taking them in my hands, I lie on the ground and begin to draw. I draw 4. I draw the ocean and the sun rising above it.

Only a knock stops me from continuing the sketch. An avox opens the door and shows me a note, _Time to eat, starfish. –Finnick_ I take it, nodding at the girl –probably no older than myself with gorgeous brown hair and gray eyes- and she leads me up one train car where there is a buffet sitting before us.

Everyone is here but me, and suddenly I'm self aware of every aspect of my being. My posture. My clothes. My hair. Is there anything on my face?

I sit beside Mags. Eudora is at the head of the table. Finnick is across from Mags and Mason is beside Finnick. They were waiting on me, evidently. Finnick smiles at me, "Nice of you to join us, starfish." As soon as I sit down, the avox that led me here is pouring some kind of colored drink into my glass.

Everyone proceeds to put on their plate what they wish to eat, and I'm feeling not hungry in the least. Something about it being only a few days before I'm set in an arena with twenty three other kids where we have to kill each other makes me find food very unappealing right now. But I take food anyway and force it down.

Who knows if these people from the Capitol will actually like me like Finnick says they will? What if they see me and want to watch me die of starvation? I figured that I better eat what I can while I can before the 67th Hunger Games becomes a literal game of starvation.


	3. Three

Chapter Three

We've hardly finished dinner when Mags is gripping my arm and pointing out the window in front of us. Mags is a sweet lady. Like a mother almost. "It's the Capitol." Before I even realize it, I'm standing with my face practically pressed to the glass. It's gorgeous. The moon is shimmering bright as always and the city is covered in lights even though it's not quite dark yet.

Then it's gone, and we're in a tunnel.

Then there's a crowd of people dressed exactly like Eudora and even more so. I'm staring at them until I remember that I have to make them like me. So I smile, and I wave. They cheer.

The train slows to a stop. The doors to the train are about to open when I remember I took my necklace off to shower and never put it back on. The doors to the train are opening, and I'm running down the train to find my necklace. I hear my name being shouted, but I don't really care. The necklace is all I have left of my mother.

My dress is still on the floor along with my sketch. My necklace is placed delicately on the chest of drawers. I fumble with it for a second before clasping it around my neck.

"Capri!" I hear Finnick shouting for me. "Capri!"

"Shit," I mutter and run back out into the hallway. "Finnick, I'm sorry. My necklace-"

I cut off when I see him. He's furious. He snatches my arm, muttering to himself which is –I presume- an attempt to calm himself down. When we get back to the other train car, the doors are shut, Mason looks scared, Mags is fiddling with some string, and Eudora is sitting down with her head in her hands saying what an embarrassment this is to her.

Finnick doesn't let go of my wrist, telling me he's not letting me run away again. Eudora stands, straightening her dress, and looks me sternly in eyes –much like the time my father got mad at me for when Henry and I were out on the beach after dark and a Peacekeeper brought me home- saying that I best not run away again.

I don't understand why everyone is so upset with me. I had forgotten my necklace. I had forgotten the one thing I could bring with me from home. The one thing I had from District 4 to keep me grounded during the Games. "Hey, chin up, Starfish." Finnick's finger is lifting up my head and his hand is no longer encasing my wrist. "Smile for the cameras. They have to love you."

I nod and put on my best smile. Finnick nods at Eudora, and she pushes the button to open the doors once again.

Scared is the only word I can think of to use to describe my feelings. I smile and wave. I even blow a kiss to the people of the Capitol. There's plenty of people clutching their cameras, taking as many pictures and videos as they can of District 4's entrance to the Capitol. I'm anxious and I'm terrified, but I can't show these people that. I look beside me to see Finnick doing the same thing as I. That's the only reason I know I'm not too far off from winning these people's affections.

* * *

Eudora leads us out of the car and into the training center. Tomorrow we will meet our stylists and prep teams and prepare for the opening ceremonies that evening. Now, we sit on the fourth floor on the training center and watch the replays of the other districts' reapings. The entire floor is ours. Each District has their own floor, and I'm sure they are each the same, but when I walked in, it took my breath slightly. It was gorgeous. I guess the Capitol figured if 95.83% of us were gonna die within the next couple of weeks, we should go out in luxury. How _utterly_ kind of them. *cue eye roll*

Finnick hands me a pad of paper about the size of my hand and a pencil, encouraging me to take notes throughout the week. I start now, labeling 12 separate pages with the heading of their district number. I figured I could put the female tribute on the front of the page, the male on the back seeing as girls were always picked first at reapings. It would give me room to take notes throughout the week when I get back to our floor.

It starts with District 1, as it always does. There's a seemingly dimwitted girl named Gem and a monstrous boy named Ceaser, who as soon as volunteers are asked for is lunging forward to go to the arena, from there. Ceaser gets a star next to him name simply for the fact that he terrifies me. There's a tiny but fierce girl named Valarie –who gets a star for nearly the same reason as Ceaser- and a tall but well built boy named Rory from District 2. The girl from District 3 is a shaky thing, Macen, and the boy, Webb, looks no older than 14.

Next is me and Mason. I go ahead and make notes on both of us. It'll help me see how I line up with the others later in the week. You can clearly see the fear in my eyes as I hug Sara to me. I had tried so hard to hide it. Finnick says that I can't be cold-hearted, but I wonder if tributes like Ceaser and Valarie see it as a weakness. I hear the announcers say how touching it was to watch. I know I'll be asked about it in the interview at the end of the week.

Nothing really stands out about Districts 5 or 6, but I note their names anyhow. The girl from District 7, Cheri, seems frightened, but I can only wonder if it's an act. Her district partner, Birch, is well built, probably 17 or 18, and being from 7, can probably wield an axe and chop us all to bits in a mere second. He gets a star next to his name. The pair from District 8 is related. I'm pretty sure that they are brother and sister, Indigo and Flor respectively, and it breaks my heart knowing that one will have to watch the other die.

There's a girl that's got to be only twelve years old from District 9, Evella. No one volunteers for her. She has a slight limp, and I can only wonder why. Piers, her district partner, is frighteningly large with a face that almost seems angry. He receives a star because he, like Ceaser, terrifies me. The pair from District 10, Rainie and Prescott, seem as though they know each other. There's something in the girl's eyes that say that they went to school together and maybe even had classes together. The boy, Prescott, does not seem phased in the slightest, as if he's never seen her before.

District 11, Cyder and Cliff, seem as unthreatening, yet less heartbreaking than the young pair from District 12, Charlene and Barnabas, who look about thirteen and are stick thin. Then the anthem plays, and the program ends.

Mags gives us each a smile and kiss on the head. She whispers that it's late and she should be headed to bed. Mason says the same minutes later and all but runs out of the room. Finnick chuckles, but I shake my head, walking over to the window sill and make myself comfortable on the large sill. I look out over the Capitol. We're not too high up, so I can spot more of the Capitol's ridiculous details.

Finnick places a hand on my shoulder, "You should try and get some sleep, Starfish."

"Somehow, I don't think I'll be able to," I whisper, running a hand through my hair.

"That's when you need it the most."

He then simply leaves. I stay for longer. The Capitol appears as though it never sleeps, but after a few hours of just sitting undisturbed, I decide that's exactly what I do need. Sleep.

As I lie in bed, I don't wonder why Finnick is having me take notes on the other tributes, but I do wonder why he cares so much. He seems so miserable as a victor. Why would he want me to win? So that I can endure the pain with him?

I want to question him now, but I decide to leave it for later. I need to get sleep while I still have the chance.

* * *

**A/N: Hi, I should probably actually introduce this story. I can't really remember _where_ I got the idea, but I haven't been able to stop writing it. I'm already on Chapter Eleven, but I'm going back, proofreading, and editing mainly right now. I hope you guys like this story as much as I do, and I would LOVE your thoughts. I will say that I have big and very lengthy plans for this story, so I think that's why I haven't been able to quit writing. (: Anyway, the title "Young Pilgrims" comes from the song by the The Shins. It was a title I hadn't seen, figured wouldn't be used, and I thought fit with the story fairly well. I had originally thought about "Sea Legs" but later thought that it didn't fit the story. Please beware that there might be changes. If there is, I will let you know if you are subscribed. I'm trying to get all the changes made now, but I like updating. Any-who, Merry Christmas to all!**


	4. Four

Chapter Four

"Up, up, up! The sun is shining, the day is bright, the Capitol is awaiting, and we've got lots to do today!" Eudora's voice wakes me up far too early in the morning. I toss a pillow at what I can only assume is her head, as to knock over her hair. I snigger when I hear her cry, "Oh, my hair!" She follows with a short scold to me about remembering my manners.

We sit together and eat breakfast. I sit in silence, reviewing my dream from last night. I was sitting on the sand in District 4. The sun was setting, leaving a magnificent display of colors in the sky. Henry and a small girl were splashing in the water not too far from shore. She giggled as he threw her over his shoulder. Once back on the sand, she stood between Henry and I, reaching up to take our hand. We laugh and smile, swinging her between us. We walk to a quaint house not too far up the shore.

There was no Victor's Village. There were no Hunger Games. Everyone was happy.

"Capri, dear, are you alright?" Mags hand is on mine. Finnick is talking with Mason about his skills, and how to find shelter in the arena.

I nod, but ask, "Is there a place I can go for some fresh air?"

Mags nods at me, leaning in to talk. She had a stroke last year, so she can't talk as well as she'd like. If you want to understand her, you have to all but have her whisper directly in your ear so you can understand. "There's a roof you can go to. It's the blank button above twelve."

I give her a parting kiss and a thank you. Before I leave, she whispers again to me, "I'll tell Finn, but you can't stay too long. You have to meet your stylists and prep teams soon." Nodding, giving her another kiss, I head to the elevator and take it all the way up to the roof in seconds.

When I step out, I am in a beautiful garden. All the flowers smell beautiful. They all are gorgeous. There's a patch of lilac across from the elevator. They instantly draw me in. There's not many of these in Four, but my mother had always loved gardening and researching different types of plants.

It is such a beautiful plant. And it smells positively lovely. It's nice to escape the horrors that lie only a few floors below. I hear the elevator doors open. I presume that it's Finnick coming to fetch me for the Remake Center, so I stay playing in the flowers like the five year old I wish that I was right about now.

However, in the silence that follows the elevator door closing, I know it's not him. In the time I've known Finnick, he's done nothing but talk like he's going to run out of oxygen in the near future. When I turn, I see Gloss, District 1 victor of the 63rd Hunger Games. He's classically beautiful, much like Finnick, but he's had a few more years to mature than Finnick has. His hair is a caramel color similar to Finnick, but more blonde. His arms are large and intimidating. He looks much like Ceaser, and -if he'd been a tribute this year- he would have received a star next to his name.

I'm not quite sure what to do, so I quickly stand and turn back to face the Capitol. I see another Tribute train arriving, and I wonder what district it is from. An outlying one surely. Maybe it's the intimidating boy from District 9 and his tiny district partner. I rest my hands on ledge. There's something strange around the edge of the ledge.

"It's a force field." It's Gloss. His voice is frighteningly close, so I continue looking straight forward. If I let him intimidate me, he'll tell Ceaser I'm not a threat and to just go ahead and off me in the bloodbath. That can't happen.

"What for?" I twist around to face him. I raise an eyebrow and trying my best to ooze confidence.

"For the tributes who think ending their lives this way would be easier than going through the arena." His words shock me. Do people really think that? It must show on my face, because Gloss has his hand under my chin in an instant. He forces me to look him in the eyes.

"Gloss! Get the fuck away from my tribute!"

Gloss smirks at me before turning to face an angry Finnick with his hands up. "Wasn't doing a thing, Odair. Take her away before you pop that vein on your forehead."

I'm glad Finnick doesn't have a trident, or he surely would have thrown it at Gloss by now. "Finnick, let's just go." He grabs my arm roughly and drags me into the elevator with the same scowl he had on last night when I forgot my necklace. He looks like a child who just got his candy taken from his mother.

His hand leaves my arm. "Did he touch you?"

"No, Finnick. God, you're acting like a child."

"_I'm_ acting like a child? _I'm_ acting like a child?!" He laughs in disbelief. The elevator doors open to our floor. I hate that Mags, Eudora, and Mason will have to see this. "_You're_ the one," he pokes my sternum with his index finger, "running away from the open doors on trains, and throwing pillows at Eudora's head, and sitting on a roof in a garden talking with one of the people training someone to kill you. _Please_, Starfish, please tell me how _I'm_ acting like a child!"

"You're making a scene when there doesn't need to be one. Just because you're the golden boy here in the Capitol doesn't mean that you're suddenly King of Panem!"

His face softens and he's suddenly not looking like he's going to burn down the Training Center anymore. "Come with me." I'm more frightened now than I was when he looked like he was thinking of murdering Gloss. For a moment, I think about not following him because I'm sure whatever he's going to tell me, I won't like. But my curiosity gets the best of me. Damn curiosity.

Finn is sitting on his bed, wringing his hands together. As soon as I'm in the room I'm apologizing. "Finnick, I'm sorry for what I said back there. I'm just nervous as hell about going into that damned arena, and I don't know how the fuck to deal with it."

It's a moment before he responds. He has a small smile on his face. "You were raised a sailor's daughter. Weren't you?" I nod. "Thought so." He sits on the edge of the bed, and I'm now sitting on the ground with my back to the wall, for a moment in silence. "Tell me about your family."

This isn't why he brought me in here. He brought me in here to spare the others of the gruesome details of whatever it was he was originally going to tell me. But something changed. Maybe he figured I didn't need to know after all. Or maybe he figured it was best left until later, _if_ I won the Games.

I'm voting in favor of the latter, but I appease him.

I tell him that the first memory I could remember was when I was four. I was stumbling along the beach, holding my father's hand. Mom was behind a camera. Of course, she couldn't remember how to work it, so they switched places. It's one of the only things I have let to remind me of her. I don't tell Finnick she's dead yet because in the story I'm telling him, she's still in the prime of life.

Then I tell him how I cried when I was five and had to go to school for the first time. It wasn't really that I was going to school. It was that I knew my mom wouldn't be there to pick me up because she had gotten a job as a deckhand on a fishing boat. There would be this lady that only lived a few houses down from ours. It was the Ekkos.

My father is a ship captain. I remember the first time he took me out to sea with him. I couldn't have been older than seven. It had been on his fishing boat, Aecor. It was some language that was prevalent long before even the rise of Panem, but many people in Four know bits and pieces. Aecor means the ocean. Other than me and my mother, that will always be his one love.

Next is the story of my mother's death. I try and keep it short, not to pretend as if she didn't exist, but to spare myself the tears that would come if I went too in depth and began rambling. Then I told him how we moved because my father couldn't stand our house anymore. It was only a mile or two from our old one, but closer to the beach.

After we moved due to my mother's death, I went haywire for about a year and a half. At least one or twice every two weeks during summer holiday -and even during the school year-, I would be escorted home by Peacekeepers. It wasn't that I was doing anything utterly terrible. I was cutting curfew with friends from school. We would go out on the beach at night and be escorted home for "disturbing the peace" along with a slap on the wrist. Nothing more.

Then I tell him that Henry and I started dating about a year and a half ago. He broke me out of my haywire state that I had acquired, and I'll always be thankful for that. I think that's why my father's so fond of him.

While I'm telling him the story involving Sara's attack, the same avox from the train –with her beautiful brown hair and mysterious gray eyes- comes in with a note for me from Eudora telling to "get myself to my the Remake Center pronto to prepare for the opening ceremonies tonight."

Grudgingly, I stand from my position on the floor and follow the young female avox to the Remake Center.


	5. Five

Chapter Five

I grit my teeth as another hot strip of fabric is yanked from my leg, successfully removing any hair follicle in sight. The woman doing the yanking puts all the used strips in a bin, saying in her stupid Capitol accent, "All done, sweetheart. With that anyway. Just a few more things and you'll be off to see Plato." Her name is Thisbe. She's the most normal one here. Or the most outrageous –next to me- by Capitol standards. Her hair is golden and done up on her head in a mass of curls. Her eyes are lined with gold and her arms are lined with golden tattoos.

I've been here for an hour, and I'm ready to take a nap. Instead, Vidal –a dark-skinned man with green hair and eyebrows done in curls at the end- comes up to my face and begins plucking out any stray hairs around my eyebrows and making them skinny as well as uniform with one another. Zadie –an olive skinned woman with pink hair, eyebrows, and lips while she has gold tattoos covering only her hands- trims the nails on my hands and feet into uniform.

Once Vidal and Zadie are finished plucking and trimming me, I'm instructed to take of the thin robe I've been allowed to wear off and on, and stand before a mirror while they do last inspections. It's strange looking in the mirror. I know that it's me standing there, but this girl is much cleaner and much more perfect (as well as fake) than the one that I know.

"Perfect!" Thisbe purrs, rolling her "r" in an almost feline way. "We'll go fetch Plato for you sweetheart!" In addition to rolling her "r" she also hisses upon pronouncing her "s" (not unlike a snake). It's not just Thisbe. It's everyone in the Capitol, and it's quite annoying. What's really annoying is how much my voice is different from theirs. I've never noticed it before today because I've never had the opportunity to. So, I spend my time in silence after my prep team has rushed from the room thinking about all the differences in our words and wondering how people would look at me if I started talking like that in Four. I giggle at the thought.

A few minutes later, the door opens to reveal a seemingly young man –you never really can tell age here in the Capitol by appearance- with hair a pale blue with a touch of grey near the front. His outfit is fairly normal. He's wearing black pants and jacket. Underneath is the only thing –other than his hair- Capitolian about it. It's a strange patterned blue and white shirt.

"Hello, Capri, my name is Plato, your stylist," his voice isn't as Capitolian as my prep team and Eudora. Just a twinge of the accent, and his voice has a normal intensity, varying greatly from how loud Capitolians are.

"Hello," I say, once again naked before a Capitolian.

He begins walking around my body, inspecting yet touching nothing. I've been naked in front of more people today than I think I have in my entire life. "You're breathtakingly gorgeous, Capri, you know that right?"

I feel my face heat up, and I have a futile attempt to hide my face by looking towards the ground. I guess he senses that I feel nervous, he hands me the robe and tells me to follow him out the door so that we can talk. The room where I had been plucked and prodded for an hour feels "much too like a laboratory" for him.

We sit on a pair of couches, both luxurious red in color. He puts a hand on my bare knee, "Capri, you are breathtaking. You were even before the Capitol got a hold of you, of course not so much to the people who live here." A smile appears on his face and I'm unsure of how to take it. "I want to take advantage of that." Oh god, he's gonna wrap me in a net isn't he?I would not put it past a Capitolian to dress me like that. And he's new. He needs to make an impression. Finnick was his first year styling for Four in the Games.

"Don't worry, I won't wrap you in a net," we both chuckle, "you are a very classic beauty, and that's what I'm going to show them." We talk for a while about my family. It's easy to talk to him, much like it is to talk to Finnick, yet I don't tell him the in depth of my story. He asks about Sara. I pause for a moment, remembering Finnick's words from the train _Starfish, I'm not so sure I'd be saying that you volunteered for your boyfriend's sister._ I tell Plato that it was a good family friend, which wasn't a lie, their family and mine were very close. I tell him that I knew she wouldn't make it through the arena, and that I had to save her life since I knew that I had the power to.

He smiles at me and leads me to another room where I am clothed for the opening ceremonies. He was right. I look breathtaking. The dress is a gorgeous sea blue ball gown that is strategically wrapped around my breasts and draped over my shoulders in the front, but there is hardly material on my back. About three quarters of the way down my back, the material begins again until it reaches the floor. With every step forward I take, the back of my dress ripples like waves.

My back is covered in pearls that have been stuck on with some kind of Capitol-formed adhesive. He pulled my hair up in a loose bun -with a few curled pieces staying around my face- and pinned a starfish in my hair as well.

Plato had done my makeup only to enhance my features. It's not covered in make up the way most Capitolian's faces are, and I appreciate him for that. "I want them to know who you are when you get in the arena. A lot of the female tributes will be covered in makeup and the sponsors won't know who to send their items too, but they'll recognize you," he had told me while he was putting the makeup on my face only moments ago.

He was going to give me a hug, but was then concerned about the pearls falling off, so the idea was tossed out. We meet up with little Mason –who is dressed in a blue tux, that has a starfish pinned on his left breast pocket, with a white shirt and a matching blue tie- and his stylist, a woman named Willa. We are whisked away to the bottom floor of the Remake Center.

Willa and Plato lead us to our chariot, which is pulled by four white horses. They assist us in getting into the chariot and arrange us as they please. The ceremonies will begin soon. I'm not sure what to say to Mason, so I take his hand and smile at him. He smiles back at me and squeezes my hand. He's nervous; his hands are sweating.

Suddenly, the opening music begins, and doors are swung open to reveal the crowded streets of the Capitol. The ride will last about twenty minutes. We're paraded around the city and end up in the City Circle, where we are welcomed to the Capitol. From there, they'll lead us back to the Training Center.

District 1 ride out first and the people of the Capitol cheer. They're always favorites with the Capitol. Then District 2 gets in place to go next. Then Three, then it's us. Mason looks up at me and says, "Finnick told me to tell you to keep your head up, smile, and wave at everyone." I nod and put on the best smile I can conjure, but keep his hand in mine because I'm just as nervous as he is. Plato mouths a "good luck" at me before our horses start making their way through the streets.

The crowd is in uproar. They are screaming out "District Four!" Every head is looking at us. I smile and wave at them. This only makes them louder. Plato was right about the makeup, we look beautiful but most certainly recognizable on the screens around the city. As I grow more comfortable, I blow a few kisses at them as well, this seems to drive them to scream louder, which I didn't think was possible. They are showering us in gifts that none of us will be able to keep. Flowers and top hats litter the street next to us as they scream our names. This gives me confidence. Confidence that I can do this. I don't have to be particularly _good_ at anything as long as I have the people of the Capitol behind me. Who knows? Some of them might like me enough to sponsor me. But I know I am good. I know I can win as long as I have help.

Soon enough, we're being rounded into the City Circle. Our chariot stops before President Snow's mansion. The buildings surrounding the City Circle are surely filled with Capitolians, as every light in every last building is on. The music is triumphantly. President Snow gives us an official welcome to the Capitol from the balcony above us. During the speech, it cuts to each of our faces, and I make sure to have the most dazzling smile on my face when it cuts to me and Mason. I noticed that none of the other tributes are as breathtaking as we are. Most look absolutely absurd as they are covered in bits and bobs representing their district and covered completely in makeup. I don't even recognize some of them from their reapings. They look like completely different people.

His speech ends and it cuts back to the tributes one last time. The chariots round the circle once more as the anthem plays and we're taken into the Training Center. As soon as the doors shut behind District 12, we are engulfed by our prep teams –who are showering us with praise- and Willa and Plato help us off the chariot. I see Districts 1 and 2 smiling at us as they chat with one another.

Watching the Games growing up, I could never stomach the idea of the Careers. But I suppose I am one of them. I'll bring it up to Finnick and Mags during dinner tonight. I unclasp my hand from Mason's. I'd be surprised if we would be able to use them tomorrow, but we massage our hands anyway. Eudora finds us, oozing us with praises much as our teams had. She rounds us into the elevator once more and takes us up to the fourth floor. She doesn't stop talking on the elevator which, thankfully, is only a short ride. Finnick and Mags are there to greet us moments after we exit the elevator.

We're sent to our rooms for a while before we're supposed to meet to have dinner. I ask the brown-haired and grey-eyed avox to accompany me to my room, so she can take the pearls off my back before I shower. Once she was finished, she placed them in a bowl, gave me a smile, and I dismissed her.

I hadn't showered in the Capitol showers. These were even fancier than the ones on the train. There were hundreds more buttons in this shower regulating temperature, pressure, soaps, shampoos, scents, oils, and massaging sponges. These dryers are even better than the ones on the train because they detangle, part, and dry my hair for me in a mere instant.

When I step back into my room, there's not an obvious chest of drawers like there was on the train. Instead, there is an electronic panel where I program an outfit and a part of the wall opens up to give me the outfit I had programmed. I can command the windows to zoom in and out on parts of the Capitol upon command. I sit cross legged on the ground, entertained for hours by this until Eudora knocks at my door. She's calling me to dinner.

I'm the first one to the dining room, so I go stand on the balcony to get some fresh air and clear my head. I need mental preparation for dinner. Dinner only days before the Hunger Games aren't really about dinner at all. Dinner is about strategizing. I don't really know how long I'm out here, but a knock on the glass door from Plato alerts me that everyone's gathering for dinner. Although I'm not sure why, I'm glad the stylists will be here to have dinner with us instead of just me, Mason, Mags, Finnick, and Eudora.

The table is long and rectangular. Seven chairs are placed around the table: one at the head, one at the end, three on one side, and two on the other. Four of the seats have already been filled. Mags is at the end. On her left is Mason, sitting on the side with two chairs. Directly on her right sits Plato. Beside him is Willa. The spots for Eudora and Finnick are still empty, so I decide to sit next to Mason.

Finnick and Eudora arrive together. He's flirting incessantly with her. She is eating it up. I'm positive this is what she's been looking forward to all year. As she giggles in her stupid Capitol way, my stomach churns. Finnick sits at the head of the table, Eudora across from me. Inwardly, I groan, I hope they don't do this all throughout dinner or I might hurl.

A boy almost identical to the girl I had seen earlier silently offers me wine. I almost decline, but figure that there's no harm in it. My father never allowed me to have in back in District 4. While Finnick and Eudora flirt, Plato and Willa chat about dresses and suits, and Mags and Mason make small talk about his life in Four, I concentrate on my meal. Potato soup; varied greens with juicy, diced tomatoes; a beautiful arrangement of seafood containing crab, lobster, shrimp and a type of trout; noodles in a red sauce; various cheeses of various shapes and sizes, but all of them melt in your mouth. The avoxs keep platters and dishes full. Halfway through my meal, I switch to water because my head is feeling fuzzy.

I'm sure throughout the dinner, I was brought up, but I was far from caring. The platters are cleared and a cake is brought out. We all eat on the cake, and move to a room full of couches and a television to watch the recap of the opening ceremonies.

Finnick questions why Mason and I are holding hands. It's only when he mentions it that I see every other pair is about as far as they can be from each other. I reply saying that we weren't instructed to, but both of us were so nervous that the only thing we could hold onto was each other. He seems to ponder this for a moment before saying, "Alright, you two, off to bed. You need your rest, and we adults need to talk. Mags and I will talk with you in the morning about how you should play it." He has a smirk on his face, as if waiting for me to say something.

"Alright," I get up, Mason following me down the hallway and to our respective rooms. I know Finnick's right, but that doesn't mean that I'm able to go to sleep. I lie in the most comfortable and luxurious bed I've ever been in, pondering the Games and what will happen and how everyone will eventually die. Even if you win, who you were died in the arena. Once you're a Victor, you're a new person. You're no longer a child.

It irritates me to think about, so I search through the drawers until I find a pack of pencils and a small notebook. Then I pull on a jacket from the closet and stick my head out the door. I no longer hear the chatter of the adults, so I walk out and head up to the roof. I head to the part of the roof with the flowers. I need a distraction, and this is the perfect one.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you all are enjoying this story. It seems to have gotten plenty of views, but not many follows or reviews. There is obviously something turning you away from the story, and I would love to know what it is. Please leave a review about what you do and don't like about what I'm writing so that I can get better. Thank you and have a lovely day!**


	6. Six

Chapter Six

"Up, up, up! The sun is shining, the day is bright, the Capitol is awaiting, and we've got lots to do today!" Eudora's daily greeting is already wearing thin. Instead of throwing a pillow at her head today, I get up and take a shower. I experiment with the buttons more this time, mixing all different types of scents and pressures. I find a lilac scent, and pick it almost immediately.

Once I'm out and dried, the closet is open and there's an outfit waiting for me. I guess the designers design our training outfits as well. Tight black pants, a sleeveless and tight grey top with an average sized black number '4' on my back, and black leather boots. I make the large window in my room into a mirror by simply stating it. It's amazing. Sitting crossed-legged on the floor, I braid my hair from one side of my head to the other and finish it off in front of my shoulder. A few pieces spring loose, but I don't find the use in fixing them. I've found that braiding hair, much like tying knots and making nets, is incredibly relaxing.

When I stand and look at my reflection, I see that, though practical, the outfit is revealing. The top is slung around my breasts to show cleavage, and my pants hang low on my hips, leaving a thin strip of skin showing at my waist. I guess that's their plan. No matter if I'm handy with a trident or not, the District 4 team is banking on the hope that someone will find me attractive enough to keep alive for a while until I can veer off on my own. I'd put money on it.

Putting my necklace on, I simply walk out of my room without the instruction to do so because I'm quite hungry. When I make it to the dining room, I see Finnick already sitting down and eating. "Good morning, Finnick," I chirp, not entirely happy, but I'm still in a tranquil state from earlier. I slide into the seat in front of him, filling my plate with food. He responds somberly and continues eating. I suppose we have to wait for Mags and Mason before we can talk about strategies.

When I'm finishing a bowl of stew, Mags and Mason both walk in. His outfit and mine are mostly the same. Except his shirt is loose and sleeved halfway from his shoulder to his elbow with a black four on each of his shoulders. I take a roll and slowly chew it, breaking it off in bits and dipping it in the remainder of the stew. As I chew, I grow increasingly nervous about training. What will Mags and Finnick want my strategy to be? What am I supposed to show the people in the training? Does he want me to try my hardest at the end of the three days when I perform for the gamemakers? Or does he want me to only do a mediocre job?

I must have been picking at the roll for a while because I'm only finishing when Finnick looks at Mason and me and says, "If either of you don't have an objection, I'd like to train you separately. Mason, you'll mostly be working with Mags. Starfish, you'll mostly be working with me. Is that good with the two of you?" Mason and I look at each other for a moment before nodding at each other and then Finnick. "Alright, Starfish, come with me," he gets up and begins walking to the balcony.

I sit on the ledge, sure that there's a force field on our balcony just like there's one on the roof. I had noticed it last night when I had been out here before dinner. I wonder why Finnick would want to train us separately. And then I practically slap myself for being incredibly dim-witted. Mason and I are completely different, just as Finnick and Mags are. They're playing with our strengths. There's a reason that they're our mentors. They're smart.

"Alright, Starfish, you said you were good with a trident. You don't need to show anyone that until you get in your private session with the gamemakers. Show them how good you are with a trident, and they won't be able to keep themselves from putting one right in front of you at the cornucopia. You need to ally with the Careers. They'll protect you for long enough until you can get on your own." I knew it.

"We also want you and Mason to stick together as long as possible. About as soon as you walk in there, Districts 1 and 2 will approach you about an alliance. Say yes. But you can't ignore the survival skills. Or the other tributes. If that means that half the day you're working on plants and snares and shelter while watching the others and the other half you're with them, that's what you do. And don't leave Mason alone with them. Understand?"

I nod. "Whatever it takes to stay alive."

"Go get 'em, Starfish," Finnick claps me on the back as I walk back inside. Mason is waiting on the couch for me, and we ride the elevator down together. We're extremely early, but probably not early enough for our allies. One and Two are waiting for us as soon as we step off the elevator and into the enormous underground gymnasium filled with sections filled with various weapons and obstacle courses and outdoor stations.

Ceaser looks me up and down. His gaze drowns me. It does more than that though. It pulls me under the waves of a storm and every time I break the surface for air, his gaze takes my head and forces it under. It takes everything within me not to squirm. To the Capitol, I have to be kind and gentle. To them, I have to prove myself as a killer. I have to prove myself worthy to be in their alliance. _This_ was the purpose of the outfit. To draw them in. To make me so desirable that Mason is just part of the deal. My job was to keep Mason safe as long as possible in the arena.

Suddenly, I doubt Finnick. He doesn't want me to make it through. I'm just the tool to be used to make Mason win. Like hell I'm just going to give up and _let_ him win. Now I'm enraged. Surely it shows in my appearance because Ceaser is less than a foot in front of my face saying, "Welcome to the alliance, Four."

"And Mason?" I raise an eyebrow. No matter how furious I am with Finnick right now, I _have_ to trust him. There's no other way to make it through.

"What the hell," he mutters to himself as he shrugs, "why not? You're in too, kid."

I've never seen Mason more mature. He simply nods his head once with a blank face. He seems far too comfortable. He _knows_ that out of the two of us, he's the one going home. It makes me sick.

When the rest of the tributes congregate in a circle, Atala, the head trainer, states the rules and shows us what each station is designated for.

I spend the first half of the day with our allies, faking my skill with a trident and attempting to use knives under the instruction of Gem. She's a lot scarier than she was in her reaping. She tells me all the best places to stab someone and the "proper location" to slit someone's throat. By lunch, I'm almost positive she thinks we're the best of friends or something. Our entire alliance drags two tables together at lunch.

They talk about who they want to kill. They're incredibly barbaric. With a sick smile on his face, Ceaser –who had purposefully sat between Mason and me- tells me how he'd love to take down Birch and Piers. He tells me exactly how he wants to kill them as well. It makes me sick, but I have to continue to eat so as to look like it doesn't bother me. I fake interest and tell him how "invigorating" that sounds. He tells me who he bets will get offed in the bloodbath, mostly by him, but by our entire alliance in the end. He thinks that I'll end up killing Three and the girl from Seven. He wants us to take out the pair from Seven together. It sickens me, but he has faith in me, which is good.

Lunch ends, and I convince Ceaser with a few batted lashes that Mason and I should practice survival skills for the rest of the day. I told him they should keep "intimidating the other tributes" with their "brute strength". He liked that. Walking away, I almost burst into laughter about the fact that I already had him wrapped around my finger.

I guess they don't teach manipulation at the academy in One.

While attempting to start a fire with a flint, I force conversation with Mason. Only about the Games. I find myself no longer caring what his life was like in Four. Our mentors told him that they were voting on him coming home, and he can't even tell me when we're on our own. I'm just the pawn, and that makes me furious.

I try not to focus on that and try to focus on the other tributes as I'm now mindlessly knotting a net. Birch is with an axe. I was right. He is frightening and incredibly good with an axe. I spot the girls from Seven and Nine, Cheri and Evella, working at a survival skills station. They are both so small. Eleven and Twelve have stayed with their district partner all day. They're at the snares station and not succeeding.

I find my own alliance dominating the weapons station. Valarie and Ceaser are both great with swords, each having a "fight" with an instructor because they're not allowed to fight one another. Rory is a mastermind with a bow and arrow, which is rivaled only by Piers, the frightening boy from Nine. Gem is a whiz with knives. She throws them with an incredible precision and accuracy.

Before I know it, Atala dismisses us for the day. Somehow, Mason and I end up in an elevator with Ceaser, Gem, and the tributes from Nine, Evella and Piers. Piers' gaze is frightening, but I try to focus on Ceaser, who is whispering in my ear that he needs to give a sword lesson tomorrow. I force a giggle to escape from my throat and nod at him. He smirks at me, and then sends a threatening glance towards Piers as he walks off the elevator with Gem.

As the elevator rises to the fourth floor, I'm remembering how much I despise Finnick. I despise him for favoring Mason, and thinking I was too idiotic to figure it out. I despise how he just expected me to be the tool to Mason's victory. When the elevator reaches our floor, I keep myself from sprinting off of it.

However, as soon as the doors close and Finnick's voice reaches my ears, my hand is around his throat and his body is slammed against the wall. He looks surprised. Mags looks frightened, and Eudora looks like she's about to burst into tears. I guess it's not normal for tributes to attack their mentors.

"How stupid do you think I am?!" I'm shouting at him. He looks exceptionally calm for being against a wall with my hand at his throat. That just pisses me off more. He doesn't think I can do it. That's why he favors Mason. He doesn't think I could kill someone. "You really didn't think I'd figure it out, did you?!" I tighten my hand around his throat and press him harder into the wall. "You thought you would just use me as a tool so Mason can cruise by, and no one would even notice! Didn't you!?" He stays silent, but he looks angrier now than he was moments ago. "Answer me dammit!"

I drop my grip and he slides down the wall. His throat is red where I had been grasping at it. I'm pleased, but the anger far outweighs any pleasure I feel right now.

"Yeah, Starfish, I did." He stands a few inches taller than me, and backs me into the other wall, but I duck under his arm that's resting against the wall and free myself. Him admitting it makes it worse. "As soon as you told me why you volunteered for that girl, I knew you wouldn't last if you were faced with killing someone or being killed. I knew you wouldn't. And after talking with Mags and Willa last night about the two of you, I knew _he_ could do it."

My eyes are burning. "You're wrong." And I leave. I go to my room and I sit because there's nothing else I can do. I'm sure this is what prison feels like. I prop myself against the door so no one can get in. The window is still a mirror from how I left it this morning. He's right. I'm weak. I'm not muscled. I'm just in the way.

If I hadn't been staring at myself in the mirror, I wouldn't have noticed the tears pouring down my face. I'm never again going to see Henry. I'm never again going to rest in his arms as we lie on the beach. I'm never again going to see my father. I'm never again going to feel his beard tickle my face as he hugs me tight. I'm never again going to see Paige. I'm never again going to sneak out in the middle of the night to walk to her house and help her finish her homework.

I'm screwed. Or I could prove them all wrong and do all of those things the moment I win the Games and return home.

* * *

**A/N: Once again, I hope you all are enjoying this story. Thank you to everyone who commented, favorite, and followed since the last update. I'm sorry it took so long, but I was mulling over things that happen later in the story. I really needed to decide if I wanted to keep Ceaser as I have him in this chapter. I finally –as in like two hours ago- decided that I might as well just keep it around. **

**If you don't like something about my story, I would love to know what it is. Please leave a review about what you do and don't like about what I'm writing so that I can get better. Thank you and have a splendid day!**


	7. Seven

Chapter Seven

The next day, I eat breakfast without talking to Finnick. I no longer plan on keeping an eye on Mason, but I do it anyway. For some reason, I can't seem to blame him. He's just trying to stay alive. This was Finnick. This wasn't Mason.

We arrive at the gymnasium exactly at ten, and are instantly flagged down by One and Two. Ceaser tosses me a sword. I bounce it in my hands. It's much heavier than a trident, and it's a lot harder to control. But with Ceaser's assistance, halfway through the day, I'm chopping off dummy heads and hitting them almost directly in the heart. I'm sure it's just because I'm still angry with Finnick, and I imagine his face plastered on each of the dummies.

At lunch, we discuss our plan of attack at the cornucopia. I tell them that I'm quick, and I am. Valarie says the same. Ceaser claims to be quick on his feet, but I've seen him run, and he's actually rather slow. I have seen Rory run, and he's faster than Ceaser by a long shot. I stay silent as Ceaser suggests a plan. All of us need to get to the cornucopia as quick as possible and pick up whatever weapons we can find. Swords, knives, bows and arrows, tridents, and backpacks. I mention that if someone finds an axe, they should grab it just for good measure so that we can get to Birch before Birch can get to us.

After lunch, we race through obstacle courses. I come out first every time. I make sure the only thing they see of me is that I'm quick. When Atala dismisses us at the end of the day, I "miss" the elevators that have taken the other twenty three tributes to their floors. Atala is absent, but the gamemakers are still sitting there, watching.

I decide to give them a show. I pick up a trident for the first time in days, and drag dummies around me in a circle. Checking once more to be sure the room is clear, I begin assault after assault on the five dummies.

I use the base to jab one in the eye before quickly jabbing at the one behind me's heart. Two of them are down.

I knock one in the neck, making him fall, and stabbing him in the heart. Two more to go.

I kick one over with my foot and stab him in the heart before quickly rounding to the last one and stabbing him twice. For good measure.

When I look up, the gamemakers are all staring at me. I smirk, put a finger to my lips, curtsey, place the trident in it's spot, and get in the elevator. I'm utterly proud of myself, but I don't know why I did it. It was gutsy. I wonder if someone's ever done that before. Performing for the gamemakers before our private session where we're meant to.

The smirk on my face is undeniable when I step out of the elevator to see Eudora, Mags, and Finnick talking on the couches. "What's with you, Starfish?"

"Oh, I just performed for the gamemakers." I say causally, sliding on the empty couch across from Finnick and adjacent to Eudora and Mags.

"You did what?!" Eudora asks, shocked and clearly confused. Finnick says nothing, but his eyebrows are stitched together.

I shrug, "I gave them what they wanted. I gave them a show." I retell my questionably illegal presentation to the gamemakers. When I'm finished, they simply sit in silence. "Was it illegal?" I question, now nervous from their silent responses.

"I-I'm not sure. I don't think it's ever happened before," Finnick places his hand on his forehead and looks at Mags. She simply shakes her head. "Well, if it's never happened before, they can't penalize you for it I don't suppose." He attempts to brighten the situation. I may have just sealed myself a death wish in the arena, so I whisper –now frightened- that I'm going to head off to my room to take a shower and clear my head.

Walking into my room and shutting the door, I pull off my clothes and toss them on the floor. I walk to the shower, push a few buttons, and am greeted with warm jets and lilac scent taking away my sweat along with my worries and fears.

I need to calm down. What's the worst they can do? Kill me? They're already planning my death as we speak, so there's no reason to worry about it.

When I come out of the shower and head to the closet to get an outfit in just my underwear, I don't notice Finnick sitting on my bed. Only when I begin to pull on a pair of pants do I see him staring at the ground and knotting some rope. I quickly button the pants and pull on a top before sitting down on the floor in front of him.

Watching him knot the rope calms me, but when he looks up at me, he almost looks distressed. "You know what I said last night wasn't the least bit true, right?" It's strange to see Finnick this way. Right now, he doesn't look like he killed people and won the Hunger Games. He looks like a scared and frightened fourteen year old boy whose name was drawn to compete in the Hunger Games.

"What are you talking about Finnick?" Last night had been a disaster, but why did he want to talk about it. I just want to put it behind me. I'd rather _not_ think about how worthless I am in his eyes. He's silent and begins knotting his rope again. I snatch it from him. "Finnick, what the fuck are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how I don't want you to end up like me. I don't want the Capitol to own you. That's what's going to happen if you win. They're gonna take you and change you and turn you into me." He stands up and begins furiously pacing back and forth across my room. I briefly wonder if he's been drinking because I don't think he would soberly be telling me this.

"And I can't let that happen to anyone else. No. I can't. That's why I said those things last night. I was hoping that me yelling at you and scaring you would shut you down, but it didn't. It didn't dammit! Why didn't you just shut down!? But you went and _performed_ for the gamemakers, and now I don't know what the hell will happen!" His hands are clutching his hair, and he's back on the bed with his elbows on his knees.

Without really meaning to, I find myself beside him on the bed and rubbing my hand across his back. "I know you can win, Capri, but I'm just scared for you."

"I know, Finnick, but I can handle whatever the hell they throw at me." The words are more for his comfort than mine because now I'm scared as hell.

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**A/N: Once again, I hope you all are enjoying this story. Thank you to everyone who commented, favorite, and followed since the last update. I don't have an excuse for updating so late other than that I forgot and haven't been writing as much as I used to, so I want to space it out a little more and give me a little more time to get ahead.**

**If you don't like something about my story, I would love to know what it is. Please leave a review about what you do and don't like about what I'm writing so that I can get better. Thank you and have a splendid day!**


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